Rajiv Rai assailants killed in encounter

August 3: Two members of the Abu Salem gang, accused of attacking director-producer Rajiv Rai on July 31, were killed in a police encounter...

August 3: Two members of the Abu Salem gang, accused of attacking director-producer Rajiv Rai on July 31, were killed in a police encounter at Opera House this evening.

The D B Marg police said interrogation of another accused Arif, who was arrested soon after the attack on Rai took place, had revealed that two of his accomplices and four more members of the gang were scheduled to meet near the Tribhovandas Bhimji Zaveri jewellery shop at around 5 in the evening.

From there, they were to proceed on an assignment to extort

money from another film producer staying at the Napean Sea Road.

Story continues below this ad

This information was confirmed by intelligence reports and a trap was laid.

At around five in the evening, three members of the gang arrived. Police decided to wait till others joined them. However, the gangsters sensed danger and tried to escape.

The police tried to stop them but they managed to slip away. A chase followed and the cops soon caught up with them in an adjacent lane.

Not ready to give up, the accused opened fire on the cops forcing them to retaliate. Two of the accused – Ajay Pawar and Sunil alias Raju Pusalkar – were injured in the crossfire, while the third managed to escape.

Story continues below this ad

The injured were rushed to the Nair Hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries before admission.

One imported Star pistol and a factory-made revolver have been recovered from them. Sub-inspector Raju Chavan was also injured in the firing.

Pawar and Pusalkar have been involved in several cases of murder and attempted murder.